A Chance At Understanding
by Readable reads
Summary: The summer before Harry's fifth year Dumbledore decides to send him off to Spinners End. Snape is not happy about this. With his resuming spy work, his struggling godson and a friend he's becoming increasingly close to, looking after Potter is not what he's concerned with. Includes an OoC Snape, a good Draco, an overly curious Harry and a muggle OC.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN:** I am not JK Rowling, in case you were concerned._

As Harry approached Dumbledore's office his face remained blank. It was however apparent to anyone who knew him that he was exhausted. His face was drawn more tightly over his cheekbones and the purple smudges under his eyes had increased greatly since the night of the third task. Cedric was dead, and Harry couldn't help but feel like it was his fault, the nightmares were relentless but he knew he deserved them. He woke up sweaty and strained with the sheets scrunched in his fists. He didn't ask for help, nor accept it when his friends offered it. He would deal with this by himself. Always by himself.

As he entered the headmasters office, Dumbledore smiled at Harry with his eyes twinkling like mad. It unsettled Harry slightly. How could he be so apparently calm after all that had happened? The young wizard sat down in the chair in front of the old mans desk uneasily. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to know what the headmaster had to tell him, it couldn't be good that was for sure.

"Ah, Harry my boy, I suppose you're wondering why I've called you here today?" Dumbledore asked cheerily. Harry shrugged slightly in acknowledgement. "I called you here to inform you that you shall not be staying at the Dursley residence this summer."

Harry's heart lifted. Would he be able to stay with the Weasleys? Or even better, Sirius? Hell, he would live in Voldemort's knickers to escape his awful relatives. Curiosity overwhelmed him (as it usually did) and he was suddenly questioning the old man. "Really sir? Who?"

"Professor Snape Harry."

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Snape was not happy about this. Not happy in the slightest. Dumbledore only went as far as to explain that Private Drive "wasn't safe" for the boy anymore, which with the return of the Dark Lord is not unreasonable, but nobody let him in as to why he had to take care of the little shit. He certainly didn't want Potter interrupting his summer plans but the boys presence would be disruptive enough. Not to mention as a former death eater and spy he could be summoned this summer by the Dark Lord while Potter was left to run amok in his house. He wasn't equipped to be a guardian, even a temporary one. During breaks from Hogwarts Severus spent most of his time around muggles and swept away his sorrows with alcohol and meaningless sex. The potions master made a mental list of all the things he couldn't do while Potter took up residence at Spinners End.

-No having his muggle friends over

-No getting too pissed to stand

-No bringing back one night stands and fucking them senseless

-No swearing (although he decided he could be a bit more lenient on that one, the boy was fourteen after all)

As Snape packed up his quarters he wasn't sure what was worse, Potter's presence or Dumbledore's cheerful attitude towards it. But he certainly wasn't going to spoil the brat as Tuney Evans doubtlessly did.

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Harry approached the apperation point and saw Snape standing menacingly against the gate, ready to rip his throat out with his bared teeth. What surprised Harry was the older wizards muggle clothes. He wore black jeans and a dark gray shirt paired with his usual leather boots. Harry was also struck with the lack of grease in his professors hair. I'll bet the git is just trying to show off. Oh wow look how cool I am! Harry thought sarcastically.

"Potter, we will be apperating to my home from here, are you familiar with the concept?" He glared down his hooked nose at the boy and Harry was rather struck with the suddenness of the question but responded with a quick "No sir."

Snape sneered at him and proceeded to shrink Harry's trunk and put it in his pocket. He grabbed at the young wizard's arm roughly and pulled him closer. "You shall feel sick I imagine." And with that they popped out of thin air.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry toppled head first when they reappeared and fought the urge to throw up. Snape of course seemed unfazed by the experience and wore a completely blank expression. They had arrived in a dark alley in a seemingly rundown and uninhabited neighbourhood and Harry was struck with how non-magical it all seemed. There was a large chimney visible in the distance. Snape led them out of the alley and down a dreary and deserted street, eventually they stopped in front of what was probably the most well kept house in the vicinity. After the potions master mumbled a few Latin words and swished his wand in a complicated pattern, he took out a set of muggle keys and opened up what was to be Harry's new home for the summer.

The potions master stalked in without a word and Harry followed down a dimly lit hallway. Snape turned right into an average sized sitting room. Or what would have been average sized if it didn't have shelves of books and and knick knacks lining most of the available wall space. There was a worn black leather couch and leather arm chair positioned around a dark wood coffee table in the middle of the room. Harry noticed that while Snape was in possession of enough books to make Hermione a very happy girl indeed, he also had a rather substantial amount of records too, and a muggle record player. It was like stepping into some sort of parallel universe in which Snape was ordinary. Harry had to dismiss his assumption that the head of Slytherin house was a pure blood who lived in a mansion with a cellar where lifeless victims of potions accidents lined the walls.

Snape took out Harry's trunk and resized it. Before fixing the young wizard with a hard glare. "This summer you will not disturb me, you will not snoop, whine or ask stupid questions." Harry nodded hurriedly before his teacher continued. "I'm sure you're used to godlike treatment from your muggle relatives but not here, I expect you to at least keep your room orderly and clean up after yourself and follow my rules. I shall not be here to supervise you constantly and while I am out you are to stay in the house and preferably not demolish it. If you wish to leave you need my permission first. There's a cinema down the street as well as a few shops, if you need money you need to ask me also. Any not stupid questions, Potter?"

Harry was surprised to say the least. He didn't even need to do chores? He could leave the house when he wanted? If he was lucky he could get through the summer only seeing Snape at meals and nothing else. He didn't dare test the mans patience though, Snape looked ready to pounce on him at any moment so Harry shook his head and kept his mouth shut. "Good, dinner is at 6:30, until then stay out of my sight, I'll show you around and then you can unpack."

"Yes, sir."

Severus gave a curt not and signalled for Potter to follow him while he gave an extremely basic tour of his summer home. Uttering words while gesturing like "Kitchen. Bathroom. My room, off limits. Basement, off limits," etc. Severus pushed a rickety door open on the second floor and they both walked in. "This is where you sleep, no doubt it isn't what the boy-who-lived-to-irritate was expecting but too bad. Get unpacked, I'm going out for a moment." And with that he left Potter to his own affairs.

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When Snape dramatically swooped out of the room Harry took the opportunity to study his surroundings. The room was bigger that the one he had at the Dursleys but not particularly big. Of course Harry didn't mind that, he was surprised the teacher didn't make him sleep in the garden or in some variation of cupboard. The room was dusty and had a twin sized bed pressed in the corner of it. A single window illuminated the room but didn't provide too much light so Harry flipped on the switch. There was a small chest of drawers, a wardrobe and a bedside table, none of them matching. Harry sat down in the bed and found it comfortable enough. He was anxious to move, he felt the opposite of welcome here and the coldness of the house didn't help. He slowly started to empty the contents of his trunk into the drawers and changed from his school robes to some of Dudley's old rags. He was regretting sending Hedwig off to stay at the burrow, Snape didn't provide as much social stimulation as his owl did even if he was to some degree human. Harry only had a few more things to unpack when he heard Snape re enter the house and a phone ring downstairs. Being a curious Gryffindor, he opened the door slightly without it creaking and listened to what he could. So Snape has a telephone too? Pretty sure that isn't normal for death eaters. Harry thought, remembering his teachers dark mark as he tried to make out the professor's words.

"No, I can't tonight, sorry—"

"Because I have a student staying with me over summer—"

"Fuck knows, but that's what's happening and we'll have to deal with it—"

"Fifteen or something—"

"No you can't get him drunk—"

"Saturday it is then—"

"I'm sure the kid will be fine by himself for a while—"

Harry listened with rapt fascination by the door. Is this what Snape was like over summer? Living like a muggle, swearing and getting drunk? He was relieved to hear that his teacher wasn't taking him drinking with his mates though. Maybe this was someone polyjuiced as Snape, to Harry that certainly made more sense. He looked at the clock by his new bedside. 5:47. He still had to decide where to keep his family album, map and invisibility cloak. He wondered if there was some crevice his teacher wouldn't think to look. Wouldn't think to look? He lives here you idiot! Still, Harry rummaged around the room in search of a safe spot.

Along the way Harry found a few of Snape's possessions that surprised him. A pack of old cigarettes in the top drawer of his bedside table. a potions journal dated 1979 with untidy scrawl all through the margins, a David Bowie t-shirt scrunched in the bottom of his wardrobe and most interesting of all was a copy of 'The Hounds Of The Baskerville' and the message in the front cover.

 _Dear Severus, a birthday gift for that impressive brain of yours! Love from Mr and Mrs Evans x_

Harry stared at the book frowning. Evans was a common enough name. He knew he shouldn't be worried but he couldn't help the knot in his stomach. Harry pushed the thought out of his head, it was almost dinner time so he tentatively put the book where he found it and went downstairs.

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After Severus hung up the phone he only felt more annoyed. His friend Ollie invited him to the Red Lion pub for a celebratory drink. It became a bit of a tradition when he started teaching and now because of Potter he had to miss it. Brilliant.

He took out the things he bought from the grocers down the street. Enough to feed a child and a man for a few days. Severus mixed sauce into the spaghetti with a scowl on his face. How dare the old coot and the little brat ruin the only time he had to himself! What was he supposed to do all summer, sit on the couch and knit? Severus arranged to meet his friend the next night but was still seething. With the Dark Lord back he needed some time to be selfish before his spying began in earnest, but apparently the headmaster didn't think so. Unfortunately for Potter he chose that moment to enter the kitchen. He directed the boy to sit and plonked a bowl of pasta in front of him. Severus noticed the boys shabby clothes and narrowed his eyes. "What are you wearing, mr Potter?"

"Clothes, sir."

"Most amusing. Is this some sort of ridiculous youth thing that I'm unaware of or did you chose tonight to wear clothes made for a small elephant?"

Harry suppressed a smirk. Small elephant indeed. He shrugged slightly but told an altered version of the truth. "I get my cousins hand me downs, he's...a bit bigger than I am, sir." Snape narrowed his eyes as if precisely calculating his next words.

"Bigger is an understatement. You mean to tell me that all your clothes are small elephant sized?"

"Er...yessir." There was no point in lying, Snape would find out anyway. Besides, it's not as if his teacher would care what rags he wore so long as he kept out of his way. It seemed he was right because Snape dropped the subject and moved onto a different one. "Tomorrow I shall be gone for a portion of the day, keep out of the rooms I told you to keep out of but apart from that do as you like." Harry nodded and stopped himself from asking where his teacher was going. Did that count as a stupid question?

"I'll also be gone that night. I expect you to be asleep when I return." This time Harry did let his curiosity seep through.

"Where will you be going sir?" Snape scowled but answered all the same.

"Meeting with a friend."

"The person you were on the phone with?" Harry asked before he could stop himself. Snape gave him a look that stated the conversation was over and they continued to eat in silence. The two both went to bed irritated and not looking forward to what was bound to be a very long summer.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Severus flooed to the headmasters office and took a seat in front of the ornate desk without a word. Dumbledore merely smiled, he was used to Severus' behaviour after having gotten to know the young wizard since he started teaching. The old man was the closest living thing Severus had to a father. Mr Evans was close, but he left the world young. Tobias was never anything near a father. He made people hurt, nothing more, and Severus would be lying if he said he wasn't overjoyed when that alcoholic bit the dust.

"Albus I don't see how my home is any better for the boy than at his muggle relatives. You haven't told me anything and I would appreciate it if you did." Dumbledore looked thoughtful and gave a brief answer.

"Lucius Malfoy. His involvement in the ministry allows him to access confidential documents, including those of Harry Potter's guardians. I moved him to avoid a Death Eater steak out at privet drive."

"Why is he being placed in my care? Surely there are other places with advanced wards, headquarters perhaps?"

"Apart from the wards I thought you might be good for each other, Harry needs to be prepared for what is to come, I can think of nobody better to prepare him."

Severus scowled and narrowed his eyes. "You and your fucking absurd schemes old man..." He muttered. "What of Draco then? If he shows up at my house and Potter is there how am I supposed to explain."

"Do you know where young Mr Malfoy's loyalties lie, Severus?" The potions master felt a surge of pride for his godson, racist and spoiled he may be, but the boy has loyalty in him that is mostly unseen. And Severus was more a father to him than Lucius had ever been.

"His loyalty lies with me."

"Then I see no issue my boy."

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That morning Harry awoke to an empty house. In the kitchen a hastily written note read:

At Hogwarts, will return by lunch. Stay put.

S.S.

Harry grimaced. Stay put? He was fourteen not four. He was worn out from a night of thrashing around his bed, even more so than usual because of the unfamiliar environment. The first thing he did that morning was take a cool shower and scrubbed at his skin until it was red and raw. He noticed too that Snape did in fact own a bottle of shampoo.

He took the opportunity to further examine Snape's house while fixing himself a bowl of Cheerios. First of all, muggle cereal, very interesting. But Harry was determined to find out more about his teacher than what sort of cereal he ate. How far could he go without Snape noticing was the question. When Harry finished his breakfast he washed his bowl and put everything back in order, it would have made his aunt Petunia proud. He glanced at the clock, 9:00am, plenty of time.

Harry tiptoed to the downstairs door despite being alone. Going downstairs he found a makeshift potions lab filled with cauldrons and jars. He rolled his eyes and left the room that provided him with no information. Next was the study, it was furnished with a bookshelf (no surprises there) and a cluttered desk with messy yet organised piles. Some of the desk drawers were locked with magic, which worried Harry slightly. Snape definitely had something to hide. The ones that were left open contained paperwork mostly, so Harry made his way to the final restricted room, the greasy git's bedroom.

Harry didn't particularly want to see where his teacher slept but he was nothing if not curious. He pushed the door and took a tentative step inside. Snape's room was furnished much the same as Harry's, however all of his teacher's furniture was more expensive and matched nicely. In the middle of the room sat a large bed with black silk sheets, unmade. Harry cringed. He never imagined it would be so odd to have proof that the bat of the dungeons actually slept. He stepped out the instinct that told him to make the bed, reminding himself that he wasn't at the Dursleys anymore.

Looking around the room, there were piles or parchment and stacks of books. The room smelt faintly of cigarette smoke and some sort of aftershave or cologne Harry couldn't place. Harry opted to skip the chest of drawers and wardrobe, not wanting to see his teachers underwear or inevitably black clothes. Snape's bedside was next but a sudden realisation that anything he found he wouldn't like hit him and Harry backed away. That's enough Snape for one day. He thought.

There were still several hours before his teacher was due to be back and Harry pondered what to do. He couldn't go out without Snape's permission so he would need to amuse himself. Homework? That was ruled out quickly. Reading? Hmm, not sure. Harry made his was to the living room and started a fire to stop himself shivering. He scanned the bookshelves finding A LOT about potions and the dark arts when he remembered 'The Hounds Of The Baskerville' that he found in his new room.

Setting himself down on the couch and starting to read, Harry barely noticed when Snape disabled the wards and came through the front door.

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To say he was a little surprised would be an understatement. Severus still remembered clearly getting that book from the Evans' (his first present), but he wouldn't have thought Potter would have been interested in it. He panicked briefly, did the boy see the inscription? Did he connect the dots? Severus wasn't stupid, he knew the brat would sneak around while he was out so he kept all things highly valuable hidden.

The potions master walked up to the big and cleared his thought loudly and black eyes met green ones. "S-sorry sir I found this in the room, and... Sorry."

"It's fine Potter." They remained staring at each other for a while until Snape spoke up again. "What do you think?"

"Huh?"

"Eloquent as always Potter. The book, what do you think of the book." Harry smiled a little.

"Um, I like it." The younger wizard paused and tried to decide wether he should bring a certain topic up. As his teacher turned away he spoke up. "The writing at the front is a bit weird though."

Snape stopped in his tracks carefully contemplating his words, he gave up. "Lunch is in fifteen minutes."

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Lunch and dinner passed without many words. Harry read more and started on his charms essay. It felt odd not to do anything so he tried to be as productive as possible. He had to admit though, he was enjoying Sherlock Holmes.

Severus brewed for most of the day, seriously that's about it. He could hardly wait to leave. It somehow felt as though Potter was more responsibility than his entire house of snakes put together. It was certainly more stressful than halving his godson over considering the difference in his relationship with Harry vs Draco. He was dreading when the young Malfoy came over, how was he supposed to explain that? Or when Ollie visited, as she doubtlessly would. Yes...she.

After what felt like an eternity, nine 'o' clock arrived and with a sign of relief and a quick comment to a reading Harry, Severus slipped out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

_Cedric falling to the ground. You-know-who coming back. Seeing his parents..._

Harry bolted upright out of his bed and glanced around the room. It was dark but there was a crack of light coming through the gap in the door and rustling noises. The bat was back in the cave. Loud too, he was clearly stumbling. Harry desperately wanted a glass of water or to splash his face but was determined to not to encounter his teacher for as long as possible so after an hour of deep breathing and counting sheep, the boy who lived drifted off again.

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Harry woke up again to a loud banging on his door at eight 'o' clock. In fact it was so loud that the young wizard fell out of the bed onto his head. Fumbling for his glasses, Harry went to open the door only to find a very peeved of professor Snape standing before him. His teacher looked cranky, more so than usual and Harry almost groaned at his bad luck. Trying to be civil at least he uttered a slightly timid: "Good morning, professor."

The teacher only scowled. "Get downstairs, Potter." Snape walked away and Harry put on dome fresh 'clothes'.

Much like the other meals, conversation was scarce and Snape didn't seem to care. Harry had never felt more awkward. He desperately tried to think of something to say. "So, um, sir..."

Before he finished his mish-mash sentence however, his teacher dropped his spoon and started massaging his temples. Harry tried not to smirk, he really did, but we can't succeed at everything an we? "Something funny?"

Harry pressed his lips together trying to drive off laughter. "Rough night professor?"

If looks could kill, Harry would be cold in his grave. Snape opted to get some things over with since Potter was feeling so chatty. "I don't know if you're aware mr. Potter but your teachers do in fact have lives outside of Hogwarts, throughout the summer I doubt that you'll be the only person at this house."

"Okay, who else will be here?"

"That friend I was in the phone with and possibly Draco Malfoy."

Harry dribbled some milk from his mouth to the front of his shirt. Malfoy was staying here? Why not at his peacock guarded mansion? "What? Why?"

"Because he's my godson and because he feels like it, Potter."

"He's your godson?"

"Yes."

"That explains a lot. Um, who's this friend of yours?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"She's a muggle who lives nearby, however she knows about magic due to having a sister who's a witch."

The younger wizard felt slightly ill. He really hoped this was just a friend, God knows he wouldn't live to see Snape in a couple. Dumbledore never mentioned having to deal with Malfoy over summer, Harry remembered Lucius' smug face when Voldemort came back and didn't understand why the son of a death eater was so trusted. "Isn't Dumbledore worried Malfoy'll sell me out to Voldemort?"

Snape looked as though he was trying to control his temper. "Professor Dumbledore trusts my opinion. And I know that Draco's loyalty lies with myself, not the dark lord and not Lucius."

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For the rest of the day Harry did homework. When one in the afternoon came around Snape was still in his little basement brewing creepy potions. Harry could hear the thrum of music from behind the closed door, he didn't recognise what was playing but it wasn't what he expected. Harry assumed Snape either disliked music or was into weird classical things. Almost the opposite. When the young wizard was looking through the collection of records (while Snape was distracted) he had found the Smiths, the Clash, Bowie, the Cure. Most of it was stuff Harry hadn't heard of before. He liked music but never really got a chance to listen to it with the Dursley's. His main concern was getting his chores done and getting enough to eat.

Speaking of eating. Snape still hadn't come out for lunch. Not wanting to disturb the man's brewing, Harry made two sandwiches with what he found in the fridge and left Snape's on the counter while he sat at the table listening in on the muffled music coming from down the hall.

At three 'o' clock Harry grudgingly knocked on the lab door and heard the music stop. Snape stepped out wearing his usual black teaching robes and narrows his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Around three sir."

"And what exactly are you doing here?"

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. "I-I made you a sandwich." For a brief moment he cherished the look of shock and horror on Snape's face but all too soon he billowed past and the young wizard was forced to follow.

Severus was not often surprised but having a Potter do anything remotely kind to him was bizarre. When he subtly checked to see if it was poisoned his brow furrowed even more. Odd, very odd.

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The next two days followed similarly. Harry had taken to walking aimlessly through the back yard to amuse himself. Snape mentioned a cinema but he didn't want to push his luck, he tried to keep out of the way of his teacher most of the time. He still had nightmares but that would never change. The state of Snape's back yard astounded him. Didn't this man weed his garden? Harry was so bored he was close to offering to do it himself.

During the stay Harry had come to notice that Snape would brew during the day, sometimes meet with Dumbledore, go grocery shopping and disappear at night until Harry was long asleep. That was about it until the third day.

Snape and Harry were sitting through a silent dinner while Snape (quite rudely) was scribbling something in the margin of a book, when all of a sudden the teacher hissed in pain and stood up clutching at his left forearm. "What's going on?" Harry let worry tint his voice.

"Just my luck." Snape muttered to himself. "I'm being summoned."

"By Voldemort?"

"No Potter, by a fairy-fucking-princess!" He shouted whilst bolting up the stairs. Snape came down less that a minute later wearing a set of almost glossy black robes and carrying a bone white mask. Casting a disillusionment charm on himself he bolted out the door without a look back to Harry.


	5. Chapter 5

Snape arrived at the meeting (thankfully) before many others. The dark lord had been laying low since the third task. Gathering strength and re establishing contacts with followers. This was the first meeting of the summer. As more people entered with the same black robes and white masks a hooded figure appeared from the doorway. He swooped in menacingly and all other people in the room immediately dropped to their knees in submission. "Welcome, faithful servants. As I'm sure you've all noticed our cause this past summer has been rather less exiting than anticipated, but no matter. I'm pleased that many of those loyal to me have returned." He stopped his pacing in from of Snape. "Some however later than others. Severus, I confess myself disappointed in you. Thirteen years and yet you know noting of where the Potter boy resides?"

"My lord, I apologise, but I do however know that he has been moved for this summer. Most likely living with a member of the order."

"And you do not know who he is with?"

"No my lord. Dumbledore did not confide in me." Snape braced himself and put up his mental shields.

"Such a shame. _Crucio._ "

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Snape returned that night physically and emotionally drained. The first thing he did was down an anti cruciatous potion but it didn't entirely stop the shaking of his hands. Torture was routine for death eater meetings but after the long break Severus was less accustomed to the feeling of his nerves being shred out of his body. He made a cup of hot tea and barely registered a person walking down the stairs to do the same thing. Snape kept his eyes closed though.

"Are you okay sir?" Snape didn't respond. "Sir? Professor Snape? Snape?" The teacher remained unmoved. Harry poured himself a cup of tea and sat down across from the almost dead looking potions master. The boy clicked his fingers over Snape's face a few times. Nothing Happened. Harry went to poke the teacher on his impressive nose when a hand darted out and shoved him away.

"Merlin Potter I'm not dead, I'm not responding, take the fucking hint and leave me alone!"

Harry yanked his hand out of his teachers shakey grip. He wasn't surprised at Snape's reaction but still irritated. He meant well after all. He was roused out of his nightmare when his teacher returned home but unlike the previous nights he had a vision rather than a regular night terror. Harry saw snippets through the eyes of Voldemort. He saw Snape being tortured and he heard him lie. "You know I can see them, the meetings. I don't know how but its like I can see what he does. Like I'm in his mind."

This got Snape's attention. Definitely something to tell the headmaster. "Potter are you familiar with occlumency?"

"Occlu-what?"

The teacher closed his eyes and took three deep breaths. "The art of shielding ones mind against attacks from others. I think it preferable that we look into it."

"Who'd teach me it then?"

"I'll speak to the headmaster tomorrow." Yes, this needed looking in to. The last thing Severus wanted was the dark lord finding out his true allegiance through Potter's mind.

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The next day both Harry and Snape flooed to Hogwarts and stood in front of the headmaster's ornate desk. The portraits in the background were snoring softly and some of the bizarre silver instruments on the desk were ticking rhythmically. Dumbledore stood stroking fawkes on the neck wearing his usual ghastly coloured robes and sucking on what was presumably a lemon drop.

With a gesture of the hand both young wizards were instructed to sit down. The old man made an old man noise as he sunk into his chair and placed his hands on the top of his desk. "Now my boys, what seems to be the problem? You haven't had any significant rows I hope?"

"No headmaster" Snape and Harry answered simultaneously. A slight look of disgust crossed both their faces when they realised that fact. Dumbledore chucked openly. Snape cleared his thought awkwardly and continued.

"Potter has informed me that he has been having visions of the dark lord. He saw part of what was happening in last nights meeting."

Dumbledore scratched at his beard. "This is worrying indeed. What do you propose?"

"Building occlumency shields to defend his mind is a must, would you teach him Albus?"

The headmaster smiled a little mischievously and his blue eyes twinkled all the while. "But Severus, Harry is staying with you already. You are so fond of reminding me that your mind magic skills have surpassed mine, why not teach him yourself?"

"Oh no, Merlin's twat no-no-no. This is not a good idea headmaster." Snape shook his head frantically.

"Sir please! Snape and I don't get along at the best of times, surely you could teach me!" Harry almost screamed, his eyes wide with desperation.

"First of all Severus, please clean up your language. Secondly Harry, its professor Snape. Thirdly, if the occlumency lessons combined with living together goes terribly wrong we can reconsider but for now I insist that this goes ahead." Dumbledore stated firmly. Both Harry and Snape were more that slightly ashamed and Severus resented the fact that the headmaster could still make him feel like a small child with his hand caught in the biscuit tin.

"I expect we can discuss this in more depth next order meeting." Said Dumbledore.

"What's an order?" Harry looked around confused. Dumbledore looked at Severus questioningly and the potions master shrugged in mild guilt.

"The order of the phoenix Harry is a secret society I founded during the first wizarding war with the purpose of stopping lord Voldemort. Some members include the Weasleys, professor Lupin, your godfather." Dumbledore paused to take a breath. "Severus here is the order's spy."

Harry smiled a bit. He felt proud that his godfather but a bubbling question rose. "Were my parents members?" Dumbledore nodded and smiled as Snape looked away. The boy who lived then frowned in contemplation, recalling his vision from last night and Snape's presence in it. He turned to his teacher who was currently scowling. "You're a spy?"

"No Potter, the headmaster left you over summer with a loyal death eater." Snape got up to depart from the office but Harry stayed put. He figured if he was going to ask a 'stupid' question he best do it in the presence of the headmaster.

"Sir, I was wondering, while I'm staying at Sna-professor Snape's house, can I ever go out, or do I have to spend the entire summer indoors?"

Dumbledore got a thoughtful look on his face and Snape rolled his eyes. "Potter I'm sure something can be arranged to keep you at least partially amused." Snape nodded at the headmaster and stepped towards the floo. "Hurry up boy we don't have all day."

"Goodbye my boys! Do have a good summer."

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When the pair arrived back in Spinners End Snape immediately pointed for Harry to sit on the couch. "Potter I mentioned leaving the house at some point did I not? I'm cruel but not so cruel as to leave you in my house for months on end."

"You said that I can't ask stupid questions. I didn't think it was worth the risk."

For a moment Snape looked pleasantly surprised but as soon as the look appeared it was gone. Snape left the room and re entered levitating a pencil sharpener. Harry went out to grab it but his teacher only lifted it higher. Severus imagined this was the rush people felt when leading around a cat with a laser pointer. "Here. This is a portkey, don't touch it unless you have desperate need to. You may leave the wards only after informing me and you must always have this in your pocket while you do so."

Snape then dropped the pencil sharpener onto the coffee table and eyed the boy's enormous jeans. "Don't you have a jacket or something Potter? It would be easier if it was always in one place."

Harry looked embarrassed. He thought that the only good part about staying with Snape was the fact that he wouldn't inquire about his 'home life', only assume he was spoilt rotten. Almost nothing could be further from the truth. "No sir."

"Sit there and don't move." Snape said with a sigh. He took of the layer of bulky, billowing robes and was left in a black t-shirt that was too tight against his broad shoulders. His dark mark was highly visible against the pale skin of his forearm and it caught Harry's eye immediately. But not for long as Snape donned an old black jumper and rushed out the door into muggle territory. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, wondering how long it would be before his friends or Sirius sent him an owl.

Snape burst back through the door within ten minutes and before Harry could react something soft was thrown a tad roughly at his head. He took it off and shook out his messy black hair. He looked down at his lap and stared confused at the brown leather jacket in front of him. He was even more confused when he saw that the tag was still on it. "Its just a jacket Potter it won't hurt you." Snape drew his wand and moved the portkey into the front pocket of the new jacket.

"Wait, did you just buy this?" Harry asked in mild astonishment. Snape put an ugly scowl on his face as though the idea of doing anything nice for Harry was an abomination.

"Well I didn't steal it." The teacher said dryly.

"Sir, I can't except this."

"Too bad Potter." Snape then began shuffling though his book shelf. No matter what Harry said it seemed like it was the end only the conversation. The young wizard looked at the jacket more closely. He'd never worn anything like this, not just because of his atrocious relatives but because he didn't think himself cool enough to pull off leather. He considered briefly how much his godfather would like it but pushed the idea out of his head. Snape took out an old dusty book and plonked it on the coffee table. The title read _'Grasping The Art Of Occlumency'._

"I expect you to have the first three chapters read by tomorrow. You can leave the wards when you're finished and you can try a defend yourself against me tomorrow evening."

Snape departed the room and Harry picked up the book. Hundreds upon hundreds of pages about an unknown form of magic. He read over a few lines from the first chapter and sighed.

 _'There may be profound differences in how one person grasps the art of occlumency compared to another. It is a personal affair in which the magic wielder must find their own way.'_

Oh Merlin, where's Hermione when you need her?


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Hello people, sorry if this story has mistakes... hopefully its fairly okay. Thank you for the reviews and feel free to keep 'em coming! This is my first fanfiction so feedback is welcome.

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For the rest of the day, Harry was a hermit. Snape threw a sandwich in his room at two when he didn't come out at lunch time but that was his only interaction with the world. The chapters of the occlumency book were long and hard to process. The writing was difficult and the topics covered were obscure to say the least. The book spoke of channeling insignificant memories to guard significant ones or sorting memories and building a shield around the important ones. The main thing written about was the idea of clearing one's mind. Harry was at a loss. He was supposed to learn this? With Snape as a teacher? Mostly Harry just wanted to get away from Snape and clear his head so he was trying to get through this as soon as possible. He also missed reading 'The Hounds Of The Baskerville'.

There were several things about this summer Snape that puzzled Harry but apart from him having godson and muggle friends he was mostly concerned about the inscription at the front of the Sherlock Holmes book. With the way Snape reacted there are two possibilities. The first was that his mother's family and Snape's family were close. The second was that the name 'Evans' was coincidental. Harry would bring it up, just not yet. Ignorance sometimes is bliss.

Evening came and Harry was still surrounded by books, this time attempting to finish his transfiguration essay, when a light tapping on his window caught his attention. Hedwig stood on the windowsill with her feathers reflecting the light from the dodgy street lamps. Harry let his owl in and untied a letter from her leg.

 _Harry,_

 _Thought I'd check in and see how your summer's going. The Weasley clan have arrived here and you can probably imagine how noisy it is. Dumbledore has told us that you have been moved from your muggle relatives but has refused to tell me where. Are you safe at least? Let me know if you need anything._

 _Padfoot_

Harry felt a twang of sadness at not receiving anything from his friends but supposed it was still early in the summer. At least his godfather missed him. Ron was with Sirius? He felt yet another confusing wave of anger towards the headmaster. His best friend was with his godfather and he was within most despised teacher. And his most despised teacher would soon have access to his innermost thoughts.

He was somehow relived to know that Sirius didn't know where he was. If he did then surely he would kick up a fuss and have him moved with him. He contemplated telling his godfather he was with Snape but figured he could wait another day. Besides, if he was lucky he might be able to leave this miserable excuse for a house for a few hours. Harry filed up the letter and headed downstairs to his doom. He put on an innocent face and tried to appear as respectful as possible. Snape was sitting with his feet on the coffee table eying some sort of orange pamphlet. "I've finished reading sir."

"Potter its nine 'o' clock you're not leaving the house. Besides, we both need food." He replied still not looking up. Harry was disappointed that his acting skills were not to be acknowledged. In fact, though it had only been a few days, Harry still felt as though he had been sufficiently ignored. Unfortunately that would change with the occlumency tutoring. "Chinese food alright?" Snape continued.

The boy shrugged. "I've never had it before sir." Upon hearing this Snape handed him the takeout menu he had been holding and sat himself back in the squashy leather couch.

"Pick something and hurry up." Severus was hardly ready to admit this to himself, let alone Albus or the boy, but he was seeing more and more how wrong his idea of Harry's home life had been. He assumed (or he liked to think) that Tuney would spoil him because of his fame. Snape saw the extremely mismatched clothes and the habit of cleaning up after himself to the point people questioning his original presence all together. This was not a sign of being spoiled, it was a sign of neglect. The never having eaten Chinese takeout was just the straw that broke the camel's back. In a single rush, Chinese food turned to food altogether, then clothes. What had Harry Potter been refused throughout his childhood? Snape suspected no physical abuse to a great extent but maybe he was still holding onto his prejudice. Was he? Had he become twisted enough to ignore a child's abuse due to his own history with the particular boy? Perhaps. Snape supposed that soon enough he would see through Potter's own eyes how horse face really felt about her sister's son. Who knows, maybe she'd become as twisted as he had.

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At precisely eight 'o' clock Snape temporarily vanished the coffee table in the living room to add a bit more space. He stood menacingly in front of his student in black slacks and a grey shirt rolled up to his elbows. He decided to first see if Potter had anything in his mind to work with whatsoever, but he somehow doubted it. The boy was too open with his emotions.

"So Potter, you read the assigned chapters. Lets see how you fared. Prepare yourself." Harry looked around not knowing exactly what to do. He didn't expect Snape to dive right in and upon seeing his teacher's wand raise he suddenly attempted to make his mind blank. "1, 2, 3, legilimens!"

Snape slipped into his student's mind with ease but kept his attack minor. He felt a slight pull that was his only indication that Harry was doing anything to keep him out. The pull was so subtle that it made no difference to his ability to read the boy's thoughts. He shifted from each memory. He kept his search unspecific and mostly saw Harry at Hogwarts with Granger and Weasley. Then a particular memory caught his attention. With a tug of his mind he leapt between memories and saw an eleven year old Potter watching his grossly obese uncle ripping up multiple Hogwarts letter.

Snape pulled out of Harry's mind and saw that the boy had fallen on the ground with a thin layer or sweat on his brow. "Get used to it boy, that was not nearly what I or the dark lord is capable of." Harry sat up and put his elbows on his knees, saying nothing but looking unsettled. "As a starting point, I want you to pick an insignificant memory, channel it so that it fills your mind and from there you'll be able to build up better shields."

"What sort of memory should I use, one with Ron and Hermione?"

"Don't be an imbecile Potter! Did you learn nothing from your experience with the dementors? Happy memories can be used against you. Chose something more similar to making a sandwich or doing homework." Snape paused and recalled when he had started practicing occlumency, at a mere age of twelve he had begun to clears mind but wasn't aware that what he was practicing was in fact a highly technical area of magic. "Songs can also work, concentrate on a melody, all the instruments and lyrics and let it fill you up."

Snape raised his wand again and Harry flinched. The teacher narrow his eyes. "On second thought Potter, that's enough. Work or clearing your mind, we will reconvene tomorrow at the same time." For half a second he was amused at the look of complete relief on Harry's face.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Flashbacks are in italics

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In the morning Harry had a splitting headache from the previous nights occlumency mingled with what seems to be more bad dreams than usual, most of them about the Dursleys. It didn't stop him from bolting out of bed however. He wrote a hasty and somewhat vague reply to his godfather, not knowing how much to give away.

Padfoot,

I'm safe, completely safe. Though I'm sure i'd be happier staying with you. Hopefully we'll see each other this summer, I might be able to ask Dumbledore. Tell Ron I said hi.

Harry

The response was brief, too brief, but for now it was enough. All Harry knew was that today he would get to escape this miserable hell hole for a few hours. He looked out of his dirty window and saw the sun beaming down on the little mill town, yes he definitely was due to escape. Even the threat of occlumency later that night couldn't dampen Harry's spirit.

He walked quietly down the steps and made himself some cereal, completely ignoring his teacher who was eating a piece of toast at the table in black slacks and dark grey shirt.

"Potter I assume you'd like to leave today." The potions master said silkily.

"Yes," Snape looked up and Harry added a "sir" almost instinctively. The teacher got up and began talking. He took out a key from his pocket.

"My wards recognise you, you unlike most will be able to see the house and enter as you wish." Snape handed Harry the muggle key and continued. "Despite the wards I prefer to be sure. Keep it on your person always. You have the port key?" Harry nodded." Be back in three hours or else. Ollie might be here too so don't be shocked."

The young wizard gulped at both the looming threat and the idea of having a run in with a friend of his most hated teacher. Harry finished his breakfast in record time. He grabbed his brown jacket and muttered a very awkward goodbye to Snape before leaving.

Harry walked out of Spinners end and took a deep breath of mildly fresh air. The streets were grey and loud. He suspected that Snape must have added a charm on his house to take away from the noise. Heading towards the seemingly less disheveled direction he relished the feeling of having some freedom. At least when he was at the Dursley's they left him alone when he wasn't 'earning his keep'. Harry walked straight for about fifteen minutes before coming to small abandoned play ground nestled in between the trees and bushes next to the Cokeworth river. He sat down on one of the swings like he sometimes did at the park near Magnolia road.

He lightly swung his legs back and forth and picked at the hem of his new jacket. The leather was soft and he suspected that the jacket was second hand. Still, Harry supposed it was a nice gesture. He realised that he did in fact need to practice clearing his mind. He liked the idea of using a tune to block out important memories but surely…in his few hours of freedom he could simply let himself relax. Harry drank in his surroundings. The playground had a rusted swing set and an old metal slide but if ever there was anything else it had long since moved.

Harry walked through the streets and came across the shops in Cokeworth. It was all extremely dodgy. Not for the first time he wondered why Snape hadn't moved away. From the contents of Harry's current room he could tell this was most likely his teacher's childhood home.

Harry saw the Chinese food shop and cringed at its grimy exterior. Harry was a bit confused as to how such a gross looking building could produce such tasty food. He caught the time in the clock through the window of the hairdressers next door and realised he had been out for almost three hours. Harry ran through the grey streets and tried to recall the direction of Snape's house. After a solid fifteen minutes of navigating he approached Spinners end slightly sweating and dreading his next occlumency lesson already.

Harry walked back through the wards and felt a buzz of magic soak through his body. Using his newly allocated key he unlocked the door and headed to the sitting room ready to continue his new-or rather- Snape's old book before his next lesson. What he found though was rather odd. First of all the record player was out with David Bowie blaring loudly throughout the house, secondly, a young woman with dark green/blue hair was twirling through the living room to the music. It took about a minute before said woman noticed Harry awkwardly standing in the door frame. She beamed at him exposing a dimple in her right cheek and headed over to where the young wizard was lingering. "Hullo there! You must be the kid staying with Sev over summer." She put out her hand for him to shake and after a few seconds Harry came to his senses.

"Yeah, I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

"Emma Oliver. I'm a friend of Sev's." Harry took time to notice the woman in question. She was about his height and her oddly coloured hair fell just past her shoulders, framing her pale and heavily freckled face in soft waves. Her eyes were a captivating chocolate brown and her crooked smile reached her eyes. She seemed almost opposite to Snape in every way possible.

"Really?" He replied disbelievingly. Hey at least I don't need to worry about her and Snape being in a couple, I mean look at her! Harry smirked inwardly at his own inner monologue. "Hang on, why'd Snape call you Ollie?"

"Never really felt like Emma suited me." She replied with a slight shrug. "So you go to Hogwarts? Are you friends with Draco then?"

Harry laughed humourlessly, recalling the times he had been targeted by Malfoy and his chunky henchman. "Not exactly, we hate each other."

"That's a shame." Emma said as she turned off the music and plonked down on the sagging leather arm chair. She stretched her legs out in front of her leisurely. She was quite pretty. She was petite and had slightly crooked teeth. Harry noticed she looked young though.

"Emma, how old are you?"

She chucked. "First of all, Ollie. Secondly, I'm 26."

"And how did you meet Snape exactly?"

"Well actually he met my sister Phoebe first. We only met because she told him that she had a sister living in Cokeworth."

 _Severus hated being here. Really, really hated being here. The room was filled with much older men and women who were drinking bad alcohol and sharing their mostly outdated potions theories. Sometimes being the youngest potions master in Britain wasn't all it was cut out to be. He had only come here at Dumbledore's insistence, wanting him to socialise with more 'dignified' people. After an hour and a half of mundane chit chat he was ready to leap out a window, but in amongst the sea of grey hair she saw a woman, not much younger than he, with the same expression of boredom on her freckled face._

 _When he started talking to her, he was slightly worried. Her ideas were rather clever, so when she mentioned she was an apprentice and hadn't started her potions mastery, Severus was a bit relived that he hadn't been bested. Yet._

 _They talked mostly about potions. Her name was Phoebe Oliver, she went to Durmstrang but mentioned that had she gone to Hogwarts she would have like to be sorted into Slytherin. Severus had to smirk at that. The music in the background was a dull piece on the piano that seemed to be written to induce sleep. As if the atmosphere wasn't depressing enough. The bearded men and women who Snape and possibly Phoebe too, had long since surpassed intellectually seemed to enjoy it though._

 _The music switched to something perhaps even more dull. "Oh honestly are they trying to encourage mundane conversation? This is absurd." He said it as an attempt to be humorous but all Phoebe did was narrow her eyes at him curiously. She recognised the anguished look on the potions masters face. It was a face her baby sister made when something highly displeased her. Snape narrowed his eyes at her lack of response._

 _"You sound like you'd really get along with my sister." She smirked._

 _"Is she here?" He said briefly scanning the room while taking another sip of firewhisky._

 _"No, she's muggle actually. Younger than me, just moved to Manchester."_

 _"Manchester, interesting."_

 _"Yes, some grubby little mill town. Cokeum or Caneworth or something..."_

 _"Cokeworth?"_

 _She looked up at him, mildly impressed. "Yes actually, heard of it?"_

 _Severus finished his glass and ran his long fingers around the rim. "I'll look out for her."_


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** I wanted to put a bit of backstory in this chapter as well as introducing Draco. Flashbacks in italics. Reviews welcome!

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 _Somehow, even after living there the entirety of his life, Cokeworth didn't quite feel like home. After he graduated Hogwarts he didn't know what to do with himself, he was invested in his death eater work but when he turned in for the night and saw peeling wallpaper rather that damp stone it somehow felt wrong. That was the main benefit to his deal with Dumbledore. He was stuck in a job he despised, yes, but he felt at least like he had a stable residence. He didn't know if it was his home, but it certainly felt similar enough to what people describe when they speak of fitting in somewhere. Especially since he wasn't being hunted by foolish Gryffindors. Now he did the chasing, and fuck it felt good. He knew how petty he was but he honestly cold to bring himself to care. Years of pain had numbed him into not caring when others suffered as he had._

 _Perhaps the only place he'd ever felt at home in his little slice of working class Manchester was the family home of his former best friend. Mr and Mrs Evans were without doubt the two nicest people he'd ever met. And despite being loyal to the dark side he couldn't bring himself not to visit their graves after their deaths. He apologised, he didn't know specifically what for. Giving up maybe? Letting his own bitterness guide him through life rather than the little sliver of light that still resided in his heart?_

 _Sometimes though, despite the confusing emotions regarding Cokeworth, he would always find sitting by the murky old river oddly therapeutic. This was where he ran away to when his father was shouting, close to where he first met Lily, where he first stared to smoke, where he first thought about throwing himself in the water and never coming out again. Many firsts in this place, not all of them good but most of them at least slightly noteworthy._

 _So he sat by the river, cigarette in hand, thinking about the last eight years of his pitiful life. Eight years ago he began teaching and eight years ago he decided that he would never allow himself to feel anything ever again. It just wasn't fucking worth it. Everybody he'd ever cared about in his life was dead. If he were a superstitious muggle he'd say he was cursed. Maybe he was, his luck was so terrible it was almost comical. Not quite though, unfortunately._

 _Severus let a twisted smile slip into his pale face. He briefly wondered if any of his students were despising the summer holidays as much as he was, he doubted it. On the positive side though, at least in summer he didn't have to socialise or make irritating small talk with people. Well, that wasn't entirely true. But unlike a brief chat with Flitwick in the corridor, summer small talk often ended in some sort of sexual activity with a woman he'd met that evening and would never meet again._

 _In the crisp hours of the early morning Severus was content with being the only person in the vicinity. Therefore it annoyed him terribly when he heard gentle footfalls behind him. He took another drag but didn't turn around to face whoever was approaching him. It was probably just one of the local kids on the way to the park. His and Lily's park as he liked to think of it. He heard the steps get closer and closer until in his peripheral vision he saw a woman standing next to where he was currently seated. "Can I help you with something?" He said without tuning to her._

 _"Um, actually I was wondering if I could have a smoke." Her voice was smooth and soft._ Oh brilliant, people, just what I'm good at _. He thought bitterly. Finally he looked at her. She couldn't have been more than 20. Without a word he handed her the cigarette he had previously been smoking. She hesitated at first but took it and sat down a few feet away from him. Severus lit up another fag and for a few tense minutes neither said a thing. He recognised her from somewhere but he was either too distracted or too depressed to figure out where. The young woman cleared her throat to speak but didn't straight away. The potions master nearly rolled his eyes at he juvenile behaviour. "You're not Severus Snape are you?"_

 _Severus looked at her confused. "I am, and you are?" Her eyes sparked in a way that seemed too bright next to the murky water. A smile played at her lips as she attempted to take a long drag of her cigarette. He looked at her expectantly and she flushed a bit from embarrassment. She held out a hand._

 _"_ _Sorry, I'm Emma. I think you met my sister, Phoebe? Call me Ollie though."_

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Harry's week was filled with a snarky Snape teaching him occlumency. He was utterly exhausted. At night he was out like a light before he had time or energy to 'clear his mind'. He had forgotten about his homework for the most part and 'The Hound of The Baskerville' lay forgotten in his bedside drawer, as well as the Evans' kind words at the front.

During the day Harry would take long walks through the streets and if Ollie was over and not with Snape doing Merlin knows what he would talk to her. Harry liked Ollie a lot, even if she was friends with Snape. She was certainly a good influence on him and seemed to turn the dour teacher into a much more agreeable person, perhaps also one that smoked a lot more.

The days became more routine and while Harry missed Ron and Sirius he was at least more used to living with Snape. He still hadn't received any letters from his friends. He had thought that at least Hermione would write to him, but apparently not. Harry tried not to be bitter but it was just like before second year, and he doubted very much that Dobby was behind this.

Harry and Snape had their occlumency lessons most days. Saturdays and Tuesdays and Fridays were the exception. On this particular Tuesday evening Snape and Harry sat in the kitchen both picking at their Chinese food with chopsticks (the latter having a bit of trouble with his). The tension at meal times had somewhat reduced these past weeks though the only words spoken were of occlumency of Harry's questions about the war, the order of the phoenix or sometimes of Ollie. Snape barely responded to these questions and once went as far as exiting the room when Harry made a comment about how 'close' Severus and Ollie seemed to be compared to say, him and Hermione.

The teacher dropped a piece of duck on his white shirt and swore. Harry let out a bust of laughter that he tried to hide with a cough. This particular evening it as Snape who initiated conversation. The teacher cast a cleaning charm on his shirt and the stain was removed but he still looked annoyed. Snape gave a look that indicated he would not have wished to bring up this topic. "I've received an owl stating that Draco will be arriving here tomorrow morning."

Harry paled. "Well what does that mean for us?"

"It means I don't have a spare room." Snape muttered to himself. Harry cringed a bit at the implication that he had been sleeping in a room previously occupied by none other than his school nemesis.

"I mean for me, I don't exactly trust Malfoy." Snape snapped his head up and an ugly scowl crossed his angular face.

"I shall have to persuade Lucius and Narcissa that he won't be able to stay the night. I should like to see him however." Harry sighed dramatically. "Just keep to yourself Potter."

Harry met his teachers eyes and tried to cover all his distaste in one look. He could barely stand the idea of seeing Draco at all but he imagined that the boy would give him hell for the way he dressed. Even Ollie had brought it up once. Not that she seemed to mind. She was hardly rich herself but the difference was that Harry was. It was his circumstance that made him appear so shabby. That and the fact that his hair stuck up despite all odds and despite gravity. "Will Ollie be here for some of the day at least?" Harry asked meekly.

Snape surprised himself at the sense of slight jealousy that came over him. He had to literally remind himself that this wasn't in fact James Potter but his son, his son that was certainly not capable of making Ollie dislike him. James wasn't Harry, that was a scary thought indeed. Ollie and Harry got along and though Snape tried to convince himself that it was her youthful interpretation of him that was the issue the more he observed Potter the more his ideas of the boy were challenged. Snape managed to nod once and returned to his meal, both looking forward and dreading the appearance of his godson the following morning.


	9. Chapter 9

Harry woke up in the morning and groaned. He's be seeing his nemesis today and instead of having chunky bodyguards by his side he'd have an authority figure. He didn't feel much like breakfast so he instead spent the morning meticulously organising his things, checking the time every ten minutes. He was again disappointed at not receiving an owl in the morning but shoved that feeling back down before in consumed him.

Since he had begun occlumency, Harry noticed that his nightmares had become less vivid. He knew he had them though, he'd wake up sweaty and the sheets crumpled beneath him from his constant thrashing. He remembered them less when he made the effort to raise the 'shields' in his mind up but they were not-as Snape loves to remind him-strong enough yet to fool the dark lord. One thing Harry didn't despise about occlumency it was how it made burying emotions easier. Squeezing the feeling of hurt and trauma back until it almost completely disappeared. It was not a healthy approach to life, but Harry didn't think about that.

At twelve noon, Harry heard the floo flare and left his room. He crept down the rickety stairs, feeling annoyed when they creaked loudly under his feet. If there was one thing he missed about the Dursleys, it was how much easier it was to sneak about undetected. Though if Harry thought about it, if Snape really was a spy for the Order he wouldn't miss a beat, creaking floors or not.

Harry peeked into the living room from his place on the last step. His head poked around the corner and his wild hair stuck out a significant way. Draco had his back turned and if Snape noticed Harry he gave no indication. The potions master pulled his godson into a brief hug and Harry was suddenly flooded with a wave of jealousy for his classmate as he watched him being almost doted on by his teacher. It was somehow different to when he saw Petunia and Dudley interact. Although that had always stung him when he was small he learned to accept that he would never know that kind of parental love. On the other hand, Harry did have a godfather, one who surely loved him and wanted to see him. The raven haired boy clenched his jaw and moved back around the corner. He heard the exchange of pleasantries but Snape was clearly on edge. _Serves that arse right_. Harry thought bitterly. He peered back around the corner and before it could have been avoided, Potter and Malfoy locked eyes. The blond boy gawked before Harry bolted out of his view.

Harry stalked up to his room, a mixture of embarrassment and being severely pissed. Here was Draco Malfoy spending his summer holidays with his parents and godfather while Harry hadn't so much as heard from his friends. His cheeks were flushed from the shame of being caught in such juvenile position. He grabbed the first thing he saw and threw it across the room, quite happy to discover it was his incomplete potions essay.

He made a decision that he had to get out of Spinners end for a while. Not exactly a decision, more like the only thing Harry had running through his mind at that moment. He grabbed his jacket with the enchanted pencil sharpener in the front pocket and bolted out of the room. He ran down the stairs and out the door not taking mind of Snape or his ferret of a godson.

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As Harry left the house Snape at least knew that the boy had the port key in the front pocket of his jacket. He sighed deeply and turned the the blonde boy in front of him who was looking more confused than he had ever seen him. Understandably too. "I suppose you would like an explanation?" He said tensely. The previous night had been spent puzzling over what to say when having this conversation but when push came to shove, Severus really wasn't a person to defuse a situation.

Draco nodded angrily. " _This_ is the reason I couldn't stay?"

"Potter was sent to live with me over summer by Dumbledore. Your father has information about the boy's normal whereabouts so he needs additional protection against the dark lord." The blonde's face remained as a mixture of confusion and disgust.

"You're helping Potter?" Snape murmured a barely audible 'yes' as conformation. "But you hate Potter."

"Dislike, there is a difference." There was a long lingering pause where Draco mulled over the new information. He sunk down on the couch and crossed his legs. Severus sat down next to him and watched as his godson's frown deepened.

"So you're really not on our side?" Draco asked accusingly, his cheeks flushed pink. Snape looked away and took a deep breath.

"I act upon my own conscience nothing more." He muttered. "If myself of all people can coexist with Potter you an manage for a few days of the holidays. Can I trust you to keep this to yourself?" Occlumency wasn't an issue with Draco. Not only would the dark lord never suspect the Malfoy heir but even if he took the time to search the boys mind he would find it difficult to pass his shields. It was a point of pride for Severus. Neither of the boy's parents had mastered the art to a very high level but Draco was another story.

"Alright." Draco muttered. The older wizard let out the breath he didn't realise he was holding and pulled the boy into another brief hug.

"Just trust me Dragon, I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, I do. I probably shouldn't at this point though."

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Harry waked briskly and aimlessly through the streets for a long time but it did nothing but make him sweat. He decided to jog to the park he had discovered last week. His cheeks were red and his heart pounded, not due to lack of fitness either. He sat down on one of the swings and kicked up at the dirt angrily. He forced himself to breath and calm down, he even tried bringing up his occlumency shields to take focus away from the pain of being left alone with his enemies over the summer.

It was hot. The sun burned brightly and made Harry want to peel off his heavy jacket but he didn't dare. The boy squinted against the light looking at his surroundings when he saw a splodge of black topped with blonde hair approaching him. "What do you want, Malfoy?" He asked as the Slytherin sat down on the swing next to him.

"Severus sent me to bring you back."

"Oh, well in that case!" Harry said sarcastically while rolling his eyes. His frustration seeping back through he cracks of his still fairly weak mental shields. Draco couldn't think of a good rebuttal. He swung his legs back and forth lightly earning him a horrid squeaking sound from the old metal chains on the swing set.

"Snape lives to torment me." Harry said bitterly, breaking the silence. "Surely even you can understand that I want to escape for a while."

"Honestly I think he would much rather be at the pub or with Ollie than torment you. You're more of an annoyance than a source of entertainment." Draco replied in a slightly arrogant voice.

There was a long silence. Both Malfoy and Potter swung their legs lightly back and forth on the rusted swings. As someone who was never targeted on purpose by their teachers, Harry didn't expect the other boy to see where he was coming from. How could Snape call _him_ arrogant and spoiled when he had Malfoy as a godson? He was like a wizard version of Dudley. "Are you going to sit here until I go back?" Harry asked impatiently, hoping his privacy would stop being encroached upon.

"That is the general idea, Potter." The skinny, blond Dudley replied.

"Just do what you want to do, Malfoy and leave me be." Harry said, irritated.

"Well I would have liked to stay for the night and spend time with my godfather but that is no longer possible. Because of you I might add."

"You could still stay you know, I'm not stopping you." The dark haired boy did however hope this wouldn't happen. Not that Snape by himself was any better of course. But comfortable silence was better that watching people you dislike act all buddy-buddy with each other.

"What and sleep on the couch?" Draco scoffed. "It smells like alcohol and is decades older than I am."

"You could sleep on Ollie's couch then. Do you know her very well?"

"Not particularly, I first met her after second year, we occasionally see each other during summers."

Harry nodded without much feeling and ran his thumbs up the rusting chains of the swings. "Are they like, really into each other or is it just me." Harry said suddenly.

Draco gave the green eyes boy a quizzical look and kicked up the dirt underneath his foot. Once he realised who 'they' was referring to he smirked. "Oh, they most definitely are."

"So why don't they just-" He was cut off.

"Its one of the many things my godfather is defensive about. He is trying to convince himself he is satisfied with their... current relationship."

"But Ollie seems to like him just as much. Probably more." Harry knew that Snape had few emotions but the least he could do was reassure his 'friend' that he liked her at all.

"Yes, despite her muggle blood I do believe they're quiet good for each other." The blonde confessed quietly.

"What does being muggle have to do with it?" Harry demanded. Draco shrugged and Harry rolled his eyes at the blatant discrimination. Not everything changes after all, that was a small comfort at least.

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 _Snape sat by himself in the dimly lit pub and swirled the contents of his drink in the glass. It was the start of summer holidays 1990, and as usual the potions master was getting sloshed by himself. He was glad to be done with his ninth year of teaching the next generations of fuck ups. Severus once again allowed his mask to lower, not entirely, that would be a terrible idea, but just a bit. He looked over his shoulder to see a pretty blonde playing pool. She caught his eye and smirked at him. A distraction was just what Severus needed._

 _Just as Severus began to walk over he heard a familiar voice calling his name._

 _Ollie waved at Snape and he immediately noticed that she had coloured her hair a bizarre shade of aqua. The sea coloured waves bounce and she walked over to the bar and sits next to where Snape was standing. The blonde looked irritated and refocused on playing pool. Snape scowled at Ollie who seemed to only just realise her interruption and sat back down next to the young woman who had been lately pestering him so. "Sorry about that." She said sheepishly. Snape finished off his drink and shrugged._

 _"Not your fault." Snape said rather reluctantly. Women like that were a dime a dozen anyway. Ollie pushed a wave of hair behind her ear as an attempt to draw attention to herself. Snape saw this and inwardly rolled his eyes. Even so, he had to admit that it suited her. "Nice hair."_

 _Her face tinted slightly and she smiled widely. "I always maintain its never too late for a change. Hey maybe next year you can go blonde!" He snorted. That was a scary thing to picture. He imagined that next year he wouldn't have changed a bit. He'd still be in a job he didn't want and he'd still be wasting his time as he did now. Waiting for the inevitable return of the dark lord that Albus talked about._

 _A comfortable but slightly tense silence came between them. Ollie sipped on a pint and laughter and the clashing of billiard balls could be heard in the background. Severus rested his chin in his hand and faced his acquaintance. He waited for there eyes to meet before speaking. "Where do you think you'll be next year then? Actually. No more talk of hair please."_

 _She smiled crookedly and looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Hopefully I'll be doing something better than sitting in the pub on the first day of summer."_

 _Snape let out a short burst of breathy laughter and nodded. Clearly neither of them anticipated that next year they would be sitting in the exact same places, at the exact same time. Just as they were currently doing, only slightly closer. Slightly closer to being friends._


	10. Chapter 10

Draco and Harry walked back to Spinners End eventually, putting as much room on the narrow pavement between them as possible. The streets were quiet and their footfalls were audible against the hot sidewalk. The blond had rolled his black sleeves up past his elbows and looked as though his fair skin was turning increasingly pink. He rubbed his warm forehead free of sweat and tried to make passive aggressive conversation. "So Potter, what have you been doing with my godfather this summer besides sleeping in my room?"

Harry rolled his eyes internally, as if he wanted to be there, sleeping in the bedroom of the enemy. "I'm learning occlumency." He shrugged.

"How often do you practice?" Questioned Draco with a slight frown.

"On the evenings most days, but by myself only when I need to calm down desperately."

"Do it more."

"Why? It won't make a difference." The green eyed boy scoffed.

"Yes it will, stop feeling sorry for yourself Potter, this is bigger than you." Malfoy said earnestly as he stopped waking and turned to face the other boy.

"Hey, I faced Voldemort a month ago in case you'd forgotten!" Harry replied hotly.

"And they say I'm the cocky one. bullshit" Draco said, rolling his cold grey eyes and continued walking up the street. Harry scowled but said nothing. When they arrived back at the house they each felt a buzz through their bodies as the wards recognised and accepted them. The raven haired boy took out his key and unlocked the front door before running up past Snape to his room and shutting the door firmly.

Several hours later Harry heard the flames of the fireplace roar which indicated Draco's departure. He crept downstairs and slipped into the kitchen quietly to eat a very late dinner. Snape was fiddling with the record player in the living room and only glanced at him before picking up a potions journal. Snape flipped through the pages and shouted out to the next room: "Don't think you've gotten out of occlumency Potter. Be ready in thirty minutes!" Harry groaned petulantly but didn't otherwise argue.

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"1, 2, 3, legilimens!" Snape penetrated Harry's mind once again and broke down his mental shields with rather a lot of difficulty, he then saw the boy's memories flowing past him in a constant stream of colour and light. The potions master latched onto a memory of a seven year old harry being forced into a dark and dusty space, too small to be considered a room. Next was the memory of a house elf arriving at Privet Drive before Harry's second year, Snape recognised it as the previous Malfoy servant. He also saw the amount of locks and bolts on the bedroom door, and the iron bars on the window. The teacher then felt a pull dragging him out of Harry's mind, it got stronger and stronger until Snape was dragged out entirely.

He opened his eyes to see Potter in a heap on the ground clearly exhausted. "You're improving." Severus said softly. Harry's face split into a tiny smile all the while he was heaving for breath. He slumped over to the couch and sat ungracefully down. "That's enough for tonight I think Potter."

The pounding in Harry's head was awful and made him nauseous. It always happened after occlumency but he realised that Snape was bringing up the power of his attacks the further they got into the lessons. It was difficult for the boy to keep up with the fast pace his teacher was setting. "Does it always hurt so fucking much?" Harry said while cradling his head in his hands.

"Language Potter." The teacher reprimanded hypocritically.

"Honestly? Coming from you sir that seems a bit ridiculous."

"Okay fine you can swear." Snape relented with a sigh and a thin quirk to the lips, too small to be considered a smile. "Yes, it always hurts that much."

"Shit." He replied in an attempted neutral tone, it finished more as a yawn than a word but the message was still understandable. If that was what Voldemort did to Snape, it was a surprise the potions mater could walk, let alone function properly.

"Don't get carried away Potter." Snape ordered sharply. Harry smiled in a tired way, _can't push him very far then_. Harry's eyes were drifting shut slowly when his teacher shook his shoulder roughly causing him to jolt awake.

Snape sent Harry off to bed, the boy was clearly mentally exhausted. Potter's bedroom door thudded closed and Severus made his way outside. He was sitting outside on the back porch with a cigarette in his hand watching the smoke coil through the crisp summer air when his left forearm erupted in a searing pain. Disposing of the fag, he hurried for his mark and robes before sweeping out of Cokeworth to see the dark lord once again.

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Few death eaters were summoned to the meeting, it consisted of the inner circle exclusively. There was talk of a small raid on a muggle town in whales which Snape had avoided attending, even after Lucius mentioned it to him in passing well before Draco visited Spinner's End. Even when Snape was a junior death eater, the idea of taking another persons life didn't particularly appeal to him.

The spy was called back by the dark lord to talk privately and Snape braced himself. He was lead to a small library in Riddle manor. It was dark and dusty somewhat like Severus' own living room but more decrepit. He kneeled in front of his second master's feet and bowed his head submissively, feeling slightly irritated when he noticed that he'd need to wash the trousers of his robes free of dust after the meeting. His inky black hair covered the white skin of his face like a curtain.

The slit nosed man stood in front of the man he considered one of his most loyal subjects. If not most loyal, certainly most useful. "How does Dumbledore fare these days Severus?" He said with a voice expressing his malice toward the old man.

"The irritating goat is still alive and chirpy, unfortunately sir." Severus cringed internally at saying that but kept his straight face and his mind utterly still. He felt cold fingers touch his face softly and reach under his chin, his head lifted to meet the dark lord's scarlet red eyes.

"Has the order called any meetings?" Voldemort inquired, keeping his hand rested on the side of his servant's angular face.

"They have had no use for me as of late but I imagine that the silence won't last long. With the ministry ignorant there is little they can accomplish." Snape replied, sincerely hoping that his pain would be short. His answer was truthful though, the longer Fudge denied the truth the longer the dark lord had to become stronger. Voldemort raised his wand with his available hand as if to cast a crucio but thought otherwise when the curse was poised on his non existent lips. Severus' eyebrows twitched ever so slightly in confusion.

"Perhaps not," He muttered quietly while tucking his wand back into his sleeve. "I am however disappointed in you Severus, what is the purpose of having a spy if they deliver no information?" Voldemort moved his hand to rest on Snape's shoulder to which the younger man was thankful for.

"No point, my lord."

"No indeed. I expect you to be of more use in future." Snape heard the looming threat in his master's voice and nodded curtly before he was dismissed.

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Harry was in the kitchen wearing old pyjama pants and an enormous greying t-shirt that belonged to Dudley. He put the kettle on the muggle way and rubbed at his temples. His bare feet were cold against the white tile of the kitchen floor. He hadn't had a vision or nightmare that vivid since his occlumency shields had started improving. It wasn't that he saw anything awful, like Cedric dying or Snape being tortured, it was merely the fact that he felt his mind and Voldemort's connect again. He didn't see the whole meeting, just snippets. That was certainly an improvement. He just needed to learn how to keep his defences up when he was defenceless. Maybe Malfoy was right about needing to practice more after all.

The kettle whistled and Harry made two cups of tea just in case. He began sipping on his and accidentally spat some out when it burned his mouth. The clock read that it was just past one in the morning. The door rattled and opened. It looked like nothing was there until Snape removed the Disillusionment charm and strode in. He was still holding his bone white death eater mask and his robes were the same glossy black that Harry had seen at the graveyard and after the last death eater meeting. The young wizard handed his teacher the second cup of tea and with a murmured 'thank you' Snape sunk down on the old and squashy arm chair in the living room.

"You don't look injured." Harry said moving to sit down near him on the coach. "Like last time I mean."

"The dark lord was in a good mood." Severus said taking a sip of the hot tea. It singed his tongue and the roof of his mouth but he showed no outward sign of it.

"He has good moods?"

"Well, I am his favourite." Snape said with a lazy smirk. The comment unnerved Harry though. He pretended to keep sipping his drink but the teacher noticed his discomfort and added an afterthought. "Funny thing abut having no sense of friendship in ones life, their loyalty is very easily misplaced."

Harry smiled softly and gulped down the rest of his drink. "Did you see any of it? The meeting?" Snape inquired softly.

"Yeah but only snippets, Its still not good enough though is it?" Harry asked in a sad tone.

"You're getting better, Potter, soon enough you'll be ready." They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, Harry was still fiddling with his mug while Snape drank. "Go to sleep, its late." The potions master ordered more quietly than usual. As he put the mugs in the sink he heard Harry patter upstairs.

"Are you going out again sir?" The boy asked, pausing half way up the narrow staircase. Snape was surprised for a moment until he realised that the question was particularly idiotic considering his habits during the Hogwarts break.

"No Potter, I doubt I could put up with anymore socialising for a while." Harry nodded and ran up to his room. He collapsed on the lumpy mattress and fell into a dreamless sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Severus rolled over on the crumpled sheets of his bed and groaned when he saw that the time was only half six. He made a what-the-hell gesture while moving to take a packet of cigarettes from his bedside drawer, igniting one with the tip of his finger and inhaling deeply. Severus contemplated what he'd been seeing the past few weeks during his and Potter's occlumency lessons and could barely hold in the rage and betrayal he felt on Lily's behalf at Petunia's neglect of the boy. He scoffed at himself when he realised his hypocrisy, he certainly wasn't known for behaving well towards Harry. Or children in general, but that's beside the point.

Snape rolled out of bed and put out his cigarette, resolving to speak to the only person in the world he truly trusted. Dumbledore. If the old man had no explanation at least Severus would be able to vent out some of his hypocritical anger. It was seven in the morning on a Thursday, the headmaster would have risen by now so Snape saw to reason to hang around. He wrote a short note to Potter, left it on the kitchen table and left.

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Snape sat in one of the grand chairs of the headmaster's office. The even more grand occupied by Albus Dumbledore. The two had cups of tea between them, Snape's was barely touched but Dumbledore held his close to his mouth, ready to sip. "Headmaster I must express a…concern I have, regarding Potter." The old man perked up slightly at the mention of Harry, much to Severus' dismay and leaned forward in his chair, motioning for the younger man to continue. "I believe he is being neglected and most probably abused by his muggle relatives."

The headmaster almost dribbled the tea from his mouth and placed the cup it its saucer quickly. "How have you come to this conclusion my boy?" He said with a frown of confusion.

"Things I've seen during occlumency, the boy puts most of his effort into hiding his memories with Petunia and her 'family' but to say some things I've seen are questionable would be a serious understatement."

"What have you witnessed?"

"Potter being made to work tirelessly while his relatives watched and insulted him, Potter being shoved into some kind of tiny dark room, Potter being kicked and punched by his elephant sized cousin, Potter -

"Yes, yes, thats enough Severus." Dumbledore cut the younger wizard off. He scratched at his long white beard, deep in thought. The usually present twinkle was lost in his eyes.

"And keep in mind I've only been teaching the boy for a few weeks." Snape added, which seem to increase the line in between the old man's brow. Dumbledore picked up his cup of tea again and took a very long sip.

"Up until recently you thought the boy spoiled did you not Severus?"

Snape's upper lip curled into a sneer. "Tuney may have hated magic but she loved her sister. I'm sure of it. Not to mention the boy is famous, she'd be all over that." He let out a humourless breath of laughter.

"I never mentioned the Harry's fame."

"What?"

"In the letter I wrote her, I told her of the circumstances of his survival, I never mentioned his fame." There was pause while Snape mulled over the information, he looked down at his hands in a way that reminded Dumbledore of a student puzzling the answer to a difficult question. The older wizard could practically see the clocks ticking in the scowling wizard's head. Dumbledore cleared his throat and Snape looked up at him sharply. "He could not grow up knowing our world, being the boy who lived, it would not have made him a better person. He needed the blood protection Severus, it is as you know one of the strongest forms of warding in existence without implementing some form of dark magic.

"My warding works does it not?" Snape snapped defensively. "The dark lord himself knows not how to disable them."

"That wasn't me criticising your methods Severus, however irregular they may be." Dumbledore said truthfully. Severus' wards were a readjusted form of the fidelius charm. He himself was the secret keeper of Spinners end but a piece of dark magic, one of Severus' own creation, allowed him to be a bit more liberal with who his secret was divulged to. If the secret keeper did not want you to remember the house or its contents, once you left, your memory would be entirely wiped of the secret. This came about after a particularly clingy muggle girl decided to make a return visit to Spinners end during Snape's early twenties. Obliviating or confunding them each time would not be practical at all, he had decided.

After another lingering pause Severus stood up to pace back and forth from his place behind his mentor's desk. "I know you have your plans, and don't like them going wrong, but surely you can see that some things hold more importance than that."

"I did not know he would be mistreated Severus." Dumbledore said softly.

"You mean you didn't know he'd be mistreated to that extent?" Snape sneered and gritted his teeth together.

"Is it your own history that has rendered you so sensitive Severus? Or the fact that he is half of Lily?" The younger man stopped pacing and was taken back for several seconds, raw emotion expressed on his usually controlled face. He stood wide eyed, the remark was said harshly and uncharacteristically cruel of Albus. After that comment Dumbledore looked guilty and fumbled for some apology to make, Severus stopped him and quickly regained his composure.

"He's neglected Dumbledore! It matters not whose child he is!" He snapped loudly, colour rising in his cheeks.

"I did not know he would be mistreated." Dumbledore said, even more softly, most of the conviction lost from his voice.

The potions master held his head a little higher than before, his hooked nose pointed to the ceiling. "You disappoint me sometimes Albus." Said Severus. He turned on his heel and left, only slightly guilty that he had left his mentor and only remaining father figure with tears in his bright blue eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** Sorry for such a late update! Hopefully the length of this chapter redeems me slightly. Thanks for the reviews and feel free to send in more. Flashbacks are in italics.

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Severus stormed into his house and slammed the door for good measure. He wasn't sure who he was more mad at, himself or Dumbledore. He went to shed off his outer robes but eventually got fed up with the buttons and ripped them off, sending pieces flying. He'd get them later, he decided. Snape headed directly into the kitchen and fixed himself a _very_ strong mug of black coffee. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table leisurely with a bowl of cheerios in his lap, his feet were propped up on the chair opposite him. Snape scowled and swatted at the boy's feet away, taking the seat when it became vacant.

"So… How's Dumbledore?" Harry questioned with an irritating grin, spooning more of the cereal into his mouth.

" _Professor_ Dumbledore is absolutely fine, perhaps a little teary eyed but nothing he won't get over I'm sure." Snape murmered bitterly, taking a long swig of his strong coffee. On the other hand, Harry dribbled a bit of milk from the side of his mouth and wiped it away with the sleeve of his oversized shirt.

"You made the headmaster cry?" He asked in disbelief.

Snape cleared his throat uncomfortably but left the remark un-responded. "When you leave today, be back by eight, we'll continue training." He said, changing the topic entirely.

" _When_?" Harry repeated with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Well I just assume, Potter, that you'd prefer to have time to clear your empty head further."

"Is your girlfriend coming over sir?" He retorted sarcastically. Harry was holding in a smirk when his teacher's face fell and he scowled.

"On second thought, be back at five, before dinner, I recently acquired batch of pickled toads that need disembowelling, tedious work but with your nimble fingers I'm sure you'll manage."

Harry's smirked dropped. "Git." He whispered under his breath.

"Yes indeed but you really should know better." The potions master said matter-of-factly, taking another sip of his coffee with his thin lips quirking.

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After calling Ollie, the only person other than Dumbledore an Mcgonagall who actually had his phone number, Severus went to meet her, as usual, in the small clearing of grass next to the river. The day was hot and dry, the grass was less green and more a rather unpleasant yellowish brown. By all outward appearances though the heat had no affect on the 35 year old, on the inside however the man felt sticky and uncomfortable in the heat. Severus was not a person to wear shorts in public, ever. In a thin green t-shirt and black jeans, a strong glamour protecting his left forearm, he had to resist the urge to fan himself in a very un-Snape like manner.

He picked at the hem of his shirt to save himself from lighting a cigarette but his will power would only last so long. He sighed, Ollie wasn't a punctual person but sometimes she infuriated him with her 'take life as it comes' attitude. Snape occasionally forgot how young she actually was.

She appeared a few minutes later panting as though she had run to meet him. "Sorry I'm late." Ollie said, moving to stand with her friend in the shade. "Phoebe kept me on the phone for over an hour." She offered an apologetic smile. He rolled his eyes at her and told her it was fine.

"How're things? How's living with a child working out for you?" She teased, already knowing how unenthusiastic he was about his summer ward.

"I'm extremely glad I practiced safe sex in my youth." Snape said earnestly.

She chuckled. "I can't imagine having a kid. I mean they're great, but I couldn't have one." Ollie said, moving to take a cigarette out of her bag with a slightly guilty look on her face. He certainly agreed with her on the not wanting children, apart from the bit about them being great. Then again the only little kid he ever had to deal with was Draco as a baby, and arguably some incredibly immature first years.

"Ever?"

"I'll stick with being the crazy aunt for now."

"Solid plan." Severus remarked, lighting the fag for her. She took a drag and then offered it to him. He accepted greedily despite the heat of the afternoon.

"I mentioned you had a Harry Potter staying with you to Phoebe just now."

"Oh?" Severus said with minimal enthusiasm, having a good idea where the conversation was heading and not liking it.

"He's famous Sev? How could you fail to mention this?"

"I didn't think it particularly important." He lied smoothly. She laughed a bit and rolled her eyes.

"I don't think I could even walk properly when I was one, let alone destroy the leader of a terrorist group." She said while shaking her head.

"I'd rather not get into this. Shall we go somewhere?" He said holding out his hand to hers. Ollie looked skeptical but took it and the pair started walking away from the river.

"Alright."

"Pub? Its far too hot out here." He suggested.

"Its three in the afternoon." Her nose crinkled into her 'that's ridiculous' look. He hated that look.

"Well what else is there to do?" He questioned defensively.

"They're showing The Graduate at the cinema today." Ollie offered hopefully.

Snape's face changed into one of mild disgust. "I'd rather not." His lip curled into his trademark sneer.

"I'll pay for the tickets." She bargained. Severus took a long drag and furrowed his brows together.

"Alright fine."

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After Snape left, Harry went back up to the room he had begun to dislike a little less and stretched out leisurely across the twin bed while cracking his knuckles. He didn't want to leave straight away, too much risk of seeing Snape. Instead he opened the top drawer of his bedside table and was almost surprised to see the Sherlock Holmes book he had become immersed in weeks before. He opened up to the page he had doggy eared and picked up where he left off, forgetting the note on the endpaper.

Harry left the house some hours later, he was sweating by the time he'd walked a block but despite the heat the boy found it refreshing. Not to mention the fact that Harry didn't really burn, just another reason for him to work in the garden at Privet Drive. He missed quidditch as he did every summer, spending time cooped indoors was not ideal for him. He was enjoying his free time, but he didn't think it right to gain the title of 'book person', it really was Hermione's territory.

After an interesting encounter with a group of local teenagers, who not only offered him alcohol and cigarettes but tried to set him up with one of their female friends, Harry called it a day and headed back, only just in time for disembowelling

the toads Snape had promised him for his cheeky comment. He certainly didn't need the cigarettes, the house already smelled like smoke, a rather unpleasant smell to Harry, even if he was more used to it. His teacher was definitely back in the house.

Without much consideration to Snape's 'no going into these rooms' rule, Harry padded downstairs only to find a green sticky note on the door.

 _Wear the apron Potter. I'll know if you don't._

Harry snorted, opening the door he was struck with a smell so pungent it almost made his emerald eyes water. He reached for the heavy apron and tied it around his waist. It almost touched the ground so clearly Snape hadn't bothered to reduce its size. The dissecting lasted over an hour and the boy was still not used to the smell. With every minute his mood became more foul. He hoped that Trevor wouldn't pass anytime soon, for the sake of his dorm mates' noses.

Harry bottled the different body parts and placed them in alphabetical order on the shelves and he was instructed. The boy looked down at himself, he was glad Snape had forced him to wear an apron no matter how heavy and stiff the fabric was. His hands were also covered in pieces of toad gut by the end of his punishment. He went upstairs quickly and scrubbed them raw but somehow the smell still lingered unpleasantly.

Harry came back down to find Ollie in the kitchen, the woman had just finished chugging down a large glass or water. "Hi Harry." She greeted. He waved awkwardly at her and smiled.

"Hello, where's Snape?" Harry asked, feeling his stomach growl.

"Outside." She pointed to the back door. "And, I'm off." She remarked while twisting her aqua hair into a low ponytail and leaving out the front. Harry was starving and contemplated asking Snape about dinner, he decided against it, taking an apple from the counter and going up to his room, sniffing his hands in the process. Harry was glad that he had been getting any free time at all this summer, he would have lost five kilograms by now had he been with he Dursley's. Not eating regular meals and doing so many chores would take its toll on anyone, even if they were used to it. Occlumency was hard work, painful too, but at least Harry could have a snack afterwards and go to sleep. Snape hardly bothered him apart from a few insults a day. The only ones that actually irked him were about his father. _As if Snape knows anything about that._ Harry thought. He checked the time: seven past seven. Less than an hour until occlumency. Brilliant.

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Snape and Harry stood facing each other in the tiny living room. Snape with his wand drawn and Harry's hand unconsciously reaching towards his back pocket. Not that he could use his wand, by law or during occlumency, but that didn't stop the teen from having a second option.

Each time his mind was invaded though, it seemed different, like Snape was searching for specific memories. Harry blocked him out as best he could, paying special attention to his time with the Dursleys, but after a while he became too exhausted and would give in. Whenever Snape pulled out he seemed even angrier than the last time, but Harry didn't actually think it was directed at him. There was no 'Just like your father' or 'Poor boy-who-lived to be pampered' rubbish. Snape would just look at a distant point past his head, sneer in a terrifying manner and then continue the attacks on Harry's mind.

"Get ready Potter. 1, 2, 3, legillimens!"

A memory showed the boy accidentally appatating onto the roof of his primary school. The next was of professor Quirrell and the philosopher's stone in his first year. Next, Harry was seven when he asked his aunt about why father Christmas didn't like him but loved Dudley so much. He was nine when he excitedly found an old toy on the side of the street and put it in the pockets of his enormous trousers to take back to his cupboard.

Harry pushed his teacher out though he could tell Snape was not going full force. "Thats enough." Snape sighed. "Sit down."

"Sir I'd really rather not." Harry replied as he attempted to slink towards the stairs.

"No Potter. Sit down." Snape said firmly, leaving no room to argue. He indicated to the couch while seating himself on the worn armchair, elbows reseted on his knees. Harry sat down reluctantly and after a minute . "I assume, and I often assure correctly, that the memories I've witnessed of your home life are frequent occurrences." Snape started, he did of course know the answer but the boy had to say it out loud. Unfourtunately the teen remained silent so his teacher prompted him further.

"That dark space you always seemed to be, where was that? An attic? Basement perhaps?" Snape recalled grimly what his current potions lab had meant to him before its renovation. A cruel punishment indeed but he seemed to spend rather less time in there that Potter did in his childhood.

"It was the cupboard under the stairs sir." Harry said, looking intently at his scuffed up trainers.

"How ofter were you in there?" The teacher prompted.

"It was my room, up until I was eleven, my aunt thought people from our world were watching after my letter came addressed to my cupboard so she moved me to Dudley's second bedroom." Snape's skin crawled at the mention of Petunia. His knuckles turned white from his grip on the edge of the armchair, _horse faced bitch,_ he thought. Giving her elephant son two rooms and having her nephew sleep where shoes and cleaning supplies are kept.

Harry sighed deeply and curled up on the couch in a way that made it seem as though he wanted to disappear from view entirely. He noticed how Snape's face seemed pinker than usual. "They never hit me or anything, just made me do chores and stuff." The boy said, as if trying to reassure the teacher.

"It's still _abuse_ Potter." Harry's eyes went wide and his body seized up.

"No its not!" The boy snapped loudly, almost yelling. Snape however stayed calm, his voice silky and quiet.

"If this were happening to, say, Granger then, what would you call it?"

"Thats different." Harry grumbled and looked down at the floor again. If he were to pick a person to have this conversation with it sure as hell wouldn't be Snape. The man hated him and his family almost as much as his relatives did. Or at least that's what he had thought before summer.

"It isn't, you know it isn't. You aren't... entirely stupid Potter." The potion master said some what reluctantly. Harry smiled slightly in a way that made him look every bit as awkward and embarrassed as he was. He uncurled from his foetal position on the couch.

"Thanks." He shakily stood up and tried to compose himself. He attempted to push some of his unruly black hair down but that seemed to upset it even more. "I'm going to sleep."

His teacher leaned back in his seat. "I don't care, Potter." Snape picked up an old tome that was sitting on the coffee table and opened the dusty book on his lap.

Harry smiled and bolted up the stairs to his room. "G'night sir." He called back.

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 _Three years. That's how long it took for him to fuck everything up. He had just gotten used to having a friend. She was the person he complained to when a student spilled a deadly potion all over his new shoes, when Dumbledore showed blatant favouritism to Gryffindor, when Potter arrived at Hogwarts. He may only see her during summer and his nights out during the school year back in Manchester, but he was confident that this was what friendship felt like. Not that he had much experience with it._

 _But then just as something seemed to be looking up he had to succumb to those terrible human emotions he so hated. He was eying a waitress from his and Ollie's booth. Her tight shirt exposed half her chest when she bent over to collect bottles and the young woman accompanying Severus rolled her eyes when she noticed the direction he was looking. "Why waste your time on these girls Sev?"_

 _He looked back at Ollie to find her eyes slightly disappointed. For some reason this made his chest tighten slightly. "Why not?" Snape replied, trying to sound bored._

 _"Well from what I've heard and noticed, relationships with substance tend to be better." Her brow crinkled as she said this, this time it was both pity and disappointment. That combination was one he could not have despised more. Severus watched Ollie pick at the side of the table distractedly. His eyes flicked from her face to her small hands._

 _He doesn't sleep with the waitress, he's too solemn. Perhaps it was more than that, he reflected later as he couldn't get the images of Ollie's face and hands out of his head all night._

 _Yep, he was beginning to see her in a different light and he hated it. The way her eyes looked in the sun, her bizarre hair, the fact that somebody so small and young could be so fierce and brimful of confidence. The way her delicate hands brushed her hair away from her freckled face…Merlin he liked those freckles. He had to get away from her before something happened, before he hurt her._

 _Snape began to avoid Ollie altogether. It started getting rather out of hand. The very idea of becoming close to somebody for a greater purpose than a cheap fling was not something that Severus disagreed with per se, but it was not something that would fit into his life. He gave up on relationships long ago. What remained was a sense of duty, and that duty fuelled whatever Snape did._

 _So when Severus caught a glimpse of oddly coloured hair made even brighter in contrast to the general atmosphere of Cokeworth, he turned and walked away. It remained like that for months. After a while Snape suspected that he had given her sufficient time to forget about their little 'friendship', but he couldn't shake the feeling nestled deeply away in his mind that he hoped she hadn't._

 _It would only be a matter of time before she shrugged him off and kept clear. After all, nobody, let alone someone so bright as Ollie could possibly want to spend their time with a person so dark as Severus Snape. This isn't the first time he'd had this thought about somebody. It wasn't the first time his feelings had ruined a friendship before either._

 _The next time he saw her was accidental, actually she snuck up on him while he sat on an creaking bench next to the murky river in Cokeworth. Severus certainly wan't accustomed to people showing up next to him unexpectedly, it usually went the other way around. Ollie moved to sit on the bench but noticed the unstable structure of it and thought better. She sighed loudly._

 _"I haven't seen you in ages Severus." Ollie said matter of factly. He fumbled with his words for a long time. His cheeks were flushed but whether that was form the rather chilly weather or the conversation, she couldn't tell. "Why are you avoiding me? Is it what I said about the slutty waitress? I s'pose its your life, I shouldn't judge but-"_

 _He cut off her rambling. "No it's not that," He looked into her big brown eyes and scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly. "I've just been busy lately. Work and all." He finished lamely. Ollie raised an eyebrow, indicating just how terrible the explanation was, none the less she didn't question him further that day, just sunk down onto the slightly damp grass in front of his feet. Snape lit a cigarette wandlessly, with the tip of his finger and inhaled deeply. Her eyes widened._

 _"I didn't know you could do that._ _" She said softly in bemusement._

 _"I'm not supposed to." He half said half remembered."You're a muggle." The word still tasted odd on his tongue sometimes in regards to her. She didn't seem jealous of her sister's abilities, but boy was she missing out on a lot._

 _Severus bent down lower in front of her. "I'm sorry." He murmured silkily, passing the cigarette to her. Ollie accepted it and nodded her mouth pulling into a crooked smile which he returned slightly. He'd just have to push his all too familiar urges down his throat and play the platonic companion. It was okay though, because even if she didn't feel the same, he at least has a friend. No racial slur would ruin it for him this time._


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** I'm sorry you guys. I really am. Hopefully this will be the start of more regular updates for you all so let me know what you think. Now if you'll excuse me, dobby has to go iron his hands now.

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The floo flared unexpectedly early on Wednesday morning while the two residents of spinners end were engaging in a silent breakfast. Snape was sitting back on a rickety wooden chair in the kitchen with his eyes closed and his slightly greasy hair falling away from his face. He looked calm somehow, much more so than at Hogwarts. A Smiths record was playing softly from the living room, Harry thought that he recognised the song. A brief memory of walking through the supermarket with his aunt and cousin a few years before Hogwarts surfaced in his mind. He remembered listening to the tune as he shuffled thorough the aisles in his too big shoes as he kept his head down. It certainly made life easier for Harry for Snape to have something to keep him if not happy, at least content.

Harry too leaned back and curled his feet underneath him, balancing his chipped bowl of cereal on his knees. It had been a few days since Snape had made Harry talk about the Dursleys. Since then the boy had been slightly less cautious around the dark potions master, he even tried engaging in conversation a few times but to no avail. Snape seemed more set on avoiding him than ever, spending time in either the basement brewing Merlin knew what or with Ollie doing Melrin knew what, leaving Harry alone in the gloomy house. Not that he minded much, when Snape was gone Harry took the opportunity to examine the shelves of books and records in the sitting room, taking note of what Hermione might want to read or what Harry himself liked the sound of. There wasn't much that seemed suited to Ron's personality unfortunately.

Breakfast was interrupted by none other than Draco Malfoy. A Draco Malfoy that looked particularly pissed off as he stepped gracefully out of the green flames carrying a small but expensive looking overnight bag. His high cheekbones were tinted with a pink that could only signify immense frustration. Harry looked between his teacher and his blond nemesis, uncomfortable with he sudden tenseness. He slurped some milk loudly and Snape seemed to be brought out on his momentary trance. "Draco what are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too godfather." The boy replied with an edge to his voice.

"Oh I'm sorry. Cereal?" Snape offered sarcastically. Draco ignored him and Harry, instead pulling up a chair at the kitchen table and dropping the bag on the tiled floor without much care. The potions master flicked his wand lazily and the music silenced. "Are you likely to answer either of my questions?" He asked, irritated.

"Father and I had a disagreement," Malfoy sighed tiredly "he 'requested' I either stay away from him or leave the manor, so here I am." Harry frowned, the Malfoys surely had enough room where they lived to avoid each other, but apparently Draco preferred coming to the dodgy little house of his godfather instead of simply switching rooms. _Always one for the dramatic, ferret face_. He thought.

"What was the fight about this time?" Snape asked tiredly.

"Apparently I ask too many inappropriate questions."

"Questions about what exactly?" Harry butted in unexpectedly. The pair scrutinised him and Harry tried not to feel uncomfortable with both the line of conversation and his slobbish attire compared to Malfoy's ironed shirt and woollen pants.

"The dark lord." Draco finally replied.

Snape drew in a harsh breath and pinched the bridge of his hooked nose. "I have work to do today Draco. You can stay but you're on your own, with Potter of corse." Harry sneered at his teacher, which Snape pretended to ignore.

"Since you've given Potter permission to bunk in my room I suppose I'll just hang around here." Draco said bitterly, gesturing to the small living room, as if it were so terrible. Perhaps it was compared to the grandeur of Malfoy manor. After spending so much time in that room Harry didn't understand why Draco of all people was so upset at loosing something so terribly average.

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After the events of the triwizard tournament Severus had taken it upon himself to make a more reliable antidepressant potion, the current one used had odd side affects and was highly addictive, not particularly efficient when attempting to help students. He was down in the basement turned potions lab, the lack of ventilation making his hair incredibly greasy. When the potion was left to simmer (for a grand total of five hours) Severus reached for a quill and notebook to write his findings, only to be disappointed at realising they were upstairs. Sighing, he trudged up, shaking some inky black hair off of his face lazily.

Snape frantically wrote anything he had observed so as not to loose a single line of information. _Reduce amount of alihotsy - further if patient's magic is not fully developed, Add clockwise stir every third after adding bats wool, dandelion root to be chopped extremely finely and sprinkled in gradually once blue steam rises over cauldron._ Unfortunately the potions master was finding his own concentration to be wavering. Bickering could easily be heard through the rooms of the house. In face, this summer had made Severus value living alone more than ever.

Each time Draco made an immature groaning sound Severus momentarily stopped his writing. The blond boy sat with his head perched on his hands, eyes flicking through everything in the room systematically. He was somewhat unaccustomed to being ignored in such a way. Draco sighed again loudly and Snape squeezed his quill so tightly he thought it might break. Harry sat of the couch with Hounds of the Baskervilles and continued to read without looking up. Draco straightened up and crossed his arms, desperate for something to occupy himself with. "Potter," He whispered loudly. "I'm bored."

"You're actually allowed to leave, so go, do something." Harry said without much feeling, flipping a page.

"Its too hot to do anything."

The dark haired boy doggy eared the page and closed his book. "Heres a thought, go back to your palace." He spat.

"Its not a palace Potter its a manor." Malfoy corrected arrogantly as he brushed some stray blond hair off of his pointed face.

"Go back to your manor then."

"Oh, shut up Potter." From the next room Snape's face turned from his default sneer to an ugly scowl and he gripped his quill tighter still as he attempted to concentrate on writing.

"I'm just trying to read Malfoy."

"You could read in my room if you like, oh wait a second."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Being passive aggressive doesn't suit you."

"Well that monstrosity you call a shirt doesn't suit you." Draco said snobbishly, his pointed chin raising ever so slightly.

"It was my cousins!" The book was dropped on the coffee table as both Harry and Draco stood up. Malfoy was rather a bit taller but the other boy seemed unfazed. The two stared at each other and Snape's quill once again stilled.

"This is ridiculous." Snape muttered. He strode up to both boys and grabbed them by the backs of their shirts while pushing them out the back door and onto the porch. "I have work to do so if you cannot keep quiet I'm afraid you'll have to go."

"Stop pushing me Severus!" Draco tried to wriggle out of his godfathers grip but ultimately failed. "This isn't fair."

"Too bad." Snape said as her slammed the back door and locked it before either boy could try and get back in. He certainly didn't need immature squabbling to distract him from something that was actually important. Almost as soon as the pair were forced out of the house they heard _How soon is now_ beginning to play through the back door, just loud enough to phase out any talking Draco and Harry might do. Not that Snape expected them to get along.

The porch was fairly clear apart from several pot plants containing various ingredients that would prove useful for potions and a cheap metal ashtray filled with old cigarette butts. Snape's garden was small and riddled with weeds. There was a rusted clothes dryer that squeaked horribly when the hot wind blew past. Harry sat on the edge of the porch, paying little mind to his surroundings. Draco on the other hand took out a handkerchief to wipe the area he'd be sitting as though the procedure was familiar with him. The raven haired boy rolled his eyes as far back as they could go and scoffed loudly.

"What?" Asked Draco loudly, finally sitting down and tucking his handkerchief back into a jacket neatly.

"I don't think thats going help with anything Malfoy." He said indicating the, what could be described as dirty surroundings.

"What can I say, hygiene is just a habit of mine." Harry stared for a moment before picking up the metal ashtray and tipping the ashy contents out onto Malfoy's feet. Draco shook out his shoes with a look of surprise and disgust on his face. He opened and closed his mouth a few times without any noise coming out.

"What. Is. Wrong with you?" He shrieked after a few moments. "Were you raised in a shed!?"

"Not exactly." Harry replied. Draco took out his handkerchief again and dusted off his shiny shoes, his pale eyebrows scrunched together tightly. Harry sat back on his elbows just barely keeping the smirk of pettiness and satisfaction off his face.

The afternoon, if at all possible, got hotter still. The rivals sat in an uncomfortable silence, Harry picking at the glue barely holding one of his shoes together and Draco trying to trick one of Snape's fly eating plants into swallowing a twig. Harry sighed quietly and wiped his forehead, looking over to the other boy as he was just about bitten. "Malfoy?"

"What?" Draco spat after another failed attempt to launch the piece of wood into the plant's mouth.

"Why have you been asking your father about Voldemort?" Harry asked, he thought briefly that he might need to work on his interrogation abilities. Perhaps he wouldn't have had such a craving to know if he hadn't been trapped living with his teacher for nearly a month, or if he hadn't been trapped outside for over an hour.

"The dark lord has returned," Draco started. "I've merely been inquiring as to wether I have a choice about my future or not."

"Not planning on being a death eater?" asked Harry, slightly surprised.

"I'd rather avoid it. Not sure I'll be able to at this point." Malfoy said with a strangely emotionless face. The other boy suspected he was occluding.

"Your father is, I saw him." Harry said, recalling the final task and Malfoy senior's gleeful face at the prospect of the raven haired boy being killed. It wasn't a pleasant memory, far from it, he was glad to push it behind his ever developing occlumency shields. It certainly was getting crowded back there though.

"I'm not my father, Potter." Said Draco firmly.

The words had barely left the blond boy's mouth before the back door was flung open and Snape stood menacingly above them. There were smudges of ink on his fingers and neck but neither child dared say thing. The older wizard had given them barely enough room to get past him and back into the coolness of the brick house but the rivals payed little mind, Draco rushed straight to the kitchen for an apple before his godfather plucked it out of his hands to stop him.

"No more arguing." Snape said firmly before sighing. "Now, what shall I make for lunch?"


	14. Chapter 14

_**AN:** Been a while hasn't it folks?_

Harry was waiting for the day to be over. Waiting as patiently as he possible could. He read, he wrote the conclusion for his troublesome potions essay, he even offered to make dinner. Even aunt Petunia could tolerate Harry's cooking but Snape seemed suspicious if anything. The end of the day would mean the departure of Draco Malfoy. It's not as though the boy was making trouble or hurling insults at him, he wasn't saying much of anything actually since Snape had let them in from the porch.

The hours ticked by. 7, 8, 9, Harry was feeling less and less certain that the blond would ever leave. He glanced towards the couch where Draco lay looking blankly out of the grimy living room window. The Slytherin didn't seem to notice when Harry quietly slipped quietly down to the basement and rapped on the door.

It was a few minutes of quiet shuffling before it swung open and Snape's shoulders sagged when he saw Harry. "Potter what are you doing down here?" He asked tiredly.

"Please don't let him stay." Harry shook his head glumly, inviting himself into the humid room and sitting on the only stool available.

"That's not your decision to make." Snape spat and his lip curled.

"Can I at least not do occlumency tonight?" The Gryffindor whined.

"Self conscious are we?"

"Surely I'm good enough to face _him_ now anyway." Harry didn't say Voldemort around Snape anymore for fear of getting told off but it was obvious who they were discussing.

"Arrogant just like your-" Snape cut himself off. "You've developed enough to defend yourself while not in his presence but come one day you will be face to face with the dark lord again and at this point _you are not ready_."

Harry didn't push that. He knew he could improve further, he wasn't entirely stupid after all. "You have no more rooms though, theres no way in hell I'll let him near me." _He'd cut my hair in my sleep or set me on fire or something_.

"I have a couch Potter, you should know, you spend enough time on it." The potions master said in an almost bored tone as he bottled a yellowish salve and examined its gloopy consistency.

Harry's eyes widened at the idea of Draco being made to curl up on the little sofa, barely big enough to sit two people. "How does a person like Malfoy tolerate sleeping rough like that?"

Snape looked up sharply, a hint of anger flittering across his face. "You consider a couch sleeping rough?" He sneered. "You lived in a cupboard for eleven fucking years!" Harry winced a little, he didn't think he'd ever get used to his teacher swearing, or knowing about his life with the Dursleys. This was the first time Snape had brought it up since their little heart to heart a few days ago. At least his teachers anger was directed at his relatives and not him.

"Of course not, but I'll bet he does." Harry corrected.

The older wizard scoffed and levitated the now labeled salve onto a top shelf. "Never take up gambling Mr. Potter. Now go away." Harry opened his moth to respond but thought of nothing. Feeling dejected, he left the stuffy potions lab.

Harry clambered up the stairs and threw himself on the floor as the other boy had lain down comfortably on the squashy couch. From that angle the Gryffindor could see the dust collected under the multitude of shelves in the room. He sneered, half tempted to grab a dust pan and take care of it himself. "Why do you like this place?" Harry asked loudly, not sure wether the question was directed at Malfoy or the colony of ants in the backyard. "Everything's grey, dirty an ugly."

Draco rolled his grey eyes but didn't respond. Harry turned to stare at him until the other boy was uncomfortable with the attention. "A chance to be normal I suppose." Malfoy mumbled reluctantly and almost too quietly to hear.

"I think this is considered less than normal." Harry muttered, taking in the packed shelves and worn floorboards. However 'homey', Spinners End was still dodgy at best.

"Still, you need somewhere to go where you can stop pretending."

"What about Hogwarts?" Harry asked. Draco merely shot him a dirty look.

"Its not the same there for you as it is for me."

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Malfoy did end up staying the night, just after twelve at night Snape gave Draco a large powder blue blanket, ruffled his hair and disappeared into his own room, apparently too tired to leave the house or to continue brewing. It took Harry even longer than usual to fall asleep. He tossed and turned in the rickety bed and eventually tried raising his occlumency shields to forget that Malfoy was downstairs. It worked, surprisingly.

When he woke he remembered the barest hints of a dream, all it included was two does running away from some anonymous person with a Gryffindor tie. He threw on some of his better clothes and made his way downstairs, jumping slightly when he saw Draco sitting at the table, a plate of scrambled eggs (and burned toast) in front of him. Harry straightened up and nodded at Malfoy who returned the favour. "Are you leaving today?" He asked

"Yes, I can still avoid my parents if I want to." Malfoy said casually, handing Harry a fresh plate of eggs. "It's a big house."

"Thanks." Harry looked around. "Where's Snape?"

"Scavenging in the dirt somewhere for potions ingredients. He left while you were asleep." Harry nodded and started picking at his food.

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Severus arrived home after lunch with dirt on his face and on the collar of the grey t-shirt he had been wearing, a canvas bag now filled with various plants slung over his shoulder. Walking to deposit the newly acquired ingredients to his lab he saw his godson packed and impeccably dressed, waiting impatiently by the fireplace. His charge was sitting on the couch, bound apparently, on ignoring the other boy completely. Draco met his eyes with a blank expression which Snape took to mean 'hurry up'.

After placing his ingredients in jars and throwing on a clean shirt, Severus walked into the living room and loudly cleared his throat. Harry looked up for long enough to see the potions master indicating for him to leave the room. The boy sighed and left, dragging his feet behind him.

Draco was picking at his cuticles and had a worried expression on his face, no doubt still in confusion about his role in the dark lord's return. Lucius could be demanding as a parent. As hard as Draco tried to be he simply wasn't a miniature version of his father. "Are you okay Dragon?" Severus asked slowly, moving to stand with him by the fireplace.

"I hope so." Snape didn't seem satisfied. "I will be. Promise."

"Alright. I'll be here. Show up unannounced at breakfast any time you want." Draco smiled a little sadly and nodded.

"Come here." Severus drew in his godson more tightly than usual. The boy buried his face into the older man's chest for a few seconds before pushing away abruptly.

"Gross." He muttered.

"What?" Snape dropped his arms immediately as though worried he broke the boy. His godson smiled and wiped a sleeve over his face.

"You smell like cigarettes. Again."

"Not good?" The potions master chuckled softly. Draco just shook his head.

He picked up a small handful of floo powder along with his bag and called "Malfoy manor," before being engulfed in green flames and disappearing.


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